How to add value in your client relationships

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is the international day of love and while we are focused on showing our loved ones what they mean to us, let’s not forget about our clients too. What are you doing to make them feel special? If you’re not adding value in your relationships what is to stop them going elsewhere?

What does adding value mean?

In simple terms when we talk about adding value in our relationships we mean that we exceed our clients’ expectations…or deliver more than they were expecting from you when they hired you.

Now I don’t mean you need to spend lots of money or work for free…but the simple acts of listening, taking notice and taking action will make such a big difference to how your clients feel about you…the recipient will feel special and you’ll become much more memorable as a result.

Imagine you see a display of sunflowers on offer in a Florists’ window and you go in and purchase a small display just because you know your friend adores them. She rarely buys these for herself so you treat her.She is delighted that you have remembered her favourite flowers and is really touched by your gift.

When someone has taken the time to take notice of tiny details of your life and actually act on the information, you feel all warm and fuzzy inside don’t you…it makes you smile?

So how does this apply to your speaking business?

As you build your client relationships, you’ll both share tiny details of yourself…pay attention to these details or research their social media profiles and take notice of what they are sharing with their followers.

Think about your current clients…what do you know about them? Have they mentioned a favourite book or food, a sentimental memory or their birthday? Did they share a problem they regularly face that you know how to resolve? Here are a few suggestions on how you could use this information to add value

Drop into a coffee place en route to a meeting or the event you are booked to speak at and pick up a takeout of their favourite coffee

Buy or make their favourite cake as a treat

Offer to help with something they are struggling with if you know the solution…or introduce them to someone who does

Enquire after their family…by name if they have shared the names with you

Order a book they said they’d like to read and have it mailed to them

Give them a well thought out and personal card to say thank you…and mail it.

None of these will cost you a great deal but if you tailor the gift to the person and make sure it is thoughtful and personal it will mean such a lot to the recipient…the value they perceive will be much higher than the cost to you.

Recently I asked a few of my friends how they had added value to their clients and I thought I’d share these beautiful examples with you;

The Designer who was tasked with creating a sales page graphic using a flat image provided by the client…an Author. The Designer converted the image into 3D to bring the book to life. It took him five minutes but the client was delighted.

The Copywriter who remembered that it was the third anniversary of her client’s business and arranged for a small birthday cake matching the branding of the business to be delivered on the day.

The Web Developer whose client was struggling to set up a blog on their website so he set it up on her behalf and presented it as a gift…it was a five minute job for him but he’d taken notice that his client was struggling, listened and acted.

The Artist who noticed on social media that a potential customer who was enquiring about one of his prints would be celebrating her birthday shortly. He also knew that her husband was struggling with gift ideas so contacted him quietly to let him know his wife wanted the print. Result…a wife who received a present she wanted and a husband who bought the right gift.

I hope you’ve been able to see from these suggestions how you can add value in your client relationships and become the speaker who is remembered and talked about for great reasons.

Please come and share your stories of value you’ve added to your customers or received from suppliers…I really do enjoy reading your comments.